Friday night in the Rose City, two longtime Western Conference rivals will battle. One is looking to continue its upward trajectory into the elite of the Western Conference, while the other is trying to quell the tide of a bear market on its prospects. Burgeoning star LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trail Blazers will line up against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. This is the second meeting of the season between these teams, with the Suns posting a 102-77 home win on January 6th. Here’s a look at my NBA picks on the game. Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET The Suns started 4-4, but have dropped seven of nine since, including... 

Rocketman Sports FREE CBB play Tuesday 1-24-12 Baylor @ Oklahoma  8:00 PM EST Play On:  Oklahoma +5 1/2 Oklahoma is 9-1 SU at home this year where they are beating opponents by an average of 15.1 points per game this year.  Oklahoma is 21-7 ATS overall vs Baylor since 1997.  Oklahoma is 26-3 SU overall vs Baylor since 1997 including 13-1 SU at home since 1997.  Bears are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning SU record.  Bears are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  Bears are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 vs. Big 12.  Bears are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU loss.  Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games... 

  The Los Angeles Clippers have siphoned some celebrity attention off their crosstown rivals for the first time in years, partnering Chris Paul with Blake Griffin. The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to rise from the depths with a young point guard in Ricky Rubio playing alongside Kevin Love. Are these teams mirror images? The jury is still out, but certainly two of the best young point guard-power forward combos in the league will face off for the first time Friday night when the T-wolves visit the Clippers in the Staples Center. The latest NBA odds show the Clippers favored by 5 points, while the total has been set for 190.5 points. Minnesota... 

Michigan State and Georgia have met just two times all-time, and always on a neutral field. The Outback Bowl hosts a pair of conference runner-ups as Michigan State, of the Big Ten, faces Georgia of the SEC. The Bulldogs won both previous meetings, 24-12 in 2008 and 34-27 back in 1989. Our latest Outback Bowl odds list Georgia as a 3.5-point favorite, while the total sits at 50 points. Michigan State The Spartans won the inaugural Big Ten Legends Division (7-1) and played an exciting Big Ten title game before falling to Wisconsin, 42-39, halting a four-game win streak. The Spartans were 3-2 away from home this year, wining the last two such games... 

2012 BCS National Championship Preview The BCS Championship game is no stranger to controversy, and this year is no different. LSU certainly deserves to be here. They went undefeated with one of the hardest schedules in the nation, plus won the SEC Championship game. The controversy comes on the other sideline, where Alabama, a team that did not win a conference championship and a team that already lost to their title game opponent, will be residing. No matter what you may think of the system, there is some or little argument that LSU and Alabama have proved themselves to be two of the best, if not the best, teams in the nation at the end of a...